Posted: April 15, 2005

Athletics: Local Ottawa runners get a leg up

The National Capital Race Weekend and the National Capital Runners' Association are pleased to announce the winners of their 2005 Athletic Awards. Congratulations to Katie Engel and Joseph Nsengiyumva, who will each receive a $1,000 bursary. This is the second year the award has been granted. Winners are chosen based on their athletic acheivements, commitement to the sport and community involvement.

ABOUT KATIE ENGEL:

Just back from her trip to France to compete in the 2005 World Junior Cross Country Championships, Katie Engel, is eager to move on to her next big running adventure. Her 90th place finish in the race on Sunday wasn’t as close to the winners’ podium as the she has been used to in the past, but her time of 24:27 is more than respectable on the global circuit. Here at home Engel has shown great promise on the track. She was the Ontario Provincial Champion and the second-ranked Canadian juvenile for the 800m and the 1500m in 2003, and she is a four-time qualifier for the Canadian Cross Country Championships, and a three-time qualifier for the Canadian Junior National Team, both in the 5K. In addition to her athletic achievements, Engel is also a Level One Coach and volunteers with the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club.

ABOUT JOSEPH NSENGIYUMVA:

Joseph Nsengiyumva, is well known to Ottawa’ running community. Among his running accomplishments are respectable finishes in a variety of Canadian 10K races spanning the country, including a 4th place finish in the 2002 MDS Nordion 10K, and first place finishes in the 2003 Hamilton Around the Bay Race and the 2004 HBC Canada Day 10K Race in Ottawa. His first marathon effort met with reasonable success in 2004 when he placed 6th at the Toronto International Marathon with his time of 2:20:37. He’s also an avid volunteer with the Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club. But it was in 2004 when the Ottawa running community truly embraced Joseph when poor translations resulted in his refugee application being turned down. It was then that the running community, stepped forward with money and support to help Joseph file a protest. The decision is now under review and Joseph is able to focus on his training once more, with the hopes of someday representing his new home on the international running scene.

Source : www.NCM.ca.